Top 10 Unbelievable Facts About Bunker Hill Monument

Bunker Hill Monument in Boston. Photo By Jacob Rottmann – Wikimedia

Top 10 Unbelievable Facts About Bunker Hill Monument

The Bunker Hill Monument in Boston, Massachusetts, is a granite obelisk standing 221 feet high. It commemorates the two-hours Battle of Bunker Hill that took place on 17^th June 1775.

The battle was between the British army and the American militias who were from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

This was one of the first major engagements between British soldiers and American patriots during the American Revolution.

The monument is a stop on the Freedom Trail and visitors can enter and even climb to the top for stunning views from its observation deck.

The grounds around the monument are well maintained. Rangers provide details about the history of the crucial battle and seasonal musket-firings add a note of authenticity.

Here are 10 unbelievable facts about the monument.

1. The Monument is Not on Bunker Hill

The monument is on a hill. Photo By Brian-R-Phillips – Wikimedia Commons

Bunker Hill Monument sits at the top of Breed’s Hill and not on top of Bunker Hill. The true Bunker Hill is a quarter-mile from the monument.

The monument sits at Breed’s Hill because this was the actual fighting ground where the battle was fought. The parties’ objective was to occupy Bunker Hill and other unoccupied hills surrounding the city which would give them control of Boston Harbor. 

2. It is a Stop on the Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 miles-long (4.0 km) path through Boston, Massachusetts. It passes by 16 locations significant to the history of the United States.

Marked largely with brick, it winds from Boston Common in downtown Boston through the North End to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.

3. The Exhibit Lodge

Lodge at the Bunker Hill Monument. Photo By Rhododendrites – Wikimedia Commons

There is an exhibit lodge near the base of the monument that was built in the late 19^th Century. It houses a statue of fallen hero Dr. Joseph Warren and a small museum.

Doctor Joseph Warren was an American physician who played a leading role in Patriot organizations in Boston during the early days of the American Revolution. He eventually served as President of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress.

The Lodge also has a small museum that has artifacts from the battle. The artifacts include a snare drum, a cannonball, and a sword as well as the trowel Lafayette used to lay the cornerstone.

4. Land for the Monument

In 1825, the association purchased approximately 15 acres of land on the Breed’s Hill for the monument construction.

Due to the depletion of funds, the committee had to sell 10 acres of land around the monument site. Much of the hill is now occupied by residential construction, but the summit area is the location of the Bunker Hill Monument and other memorials commemorating the battle.

The hill is about 62 feet (19 m) high and is topped by Monument Square, the site of the Bunker Hill Monument. The hill slopes steeply to the east and west.

In addition to its historic sites and tour-oriented facilities, the hill is the site of a great deal of residential property, as well as supporting municipal and retail infrastructure.

5. The Monument’s Bake Sale Fundraiser

By the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Monument was still incomplete due to lack of money.

To raise funds, magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale organized an eight-day bake and crafts sale that generated 30,000 dollars. The money was used to complete the granite monument in 1843.

Sarah Hale is credited by some as the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”

6. It’s a National Historic Park

Bunker Hill Monument, Boston (MA) USA. Don’t fire ’til you see the whites of their eyes. Photo by By Luciof – Wikimedia Commons

After its construction, the monument was dedicated on 17^th June 1843. The monument’s association maintained the grounds until 1919. Thereafter, the responsibility for the upkeep of the site was transferred to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The National Park Service took control of the monument in 1976 when it became a part of the Boston National Historic Park.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, it was added to the National Historic Register five years later in 1966. Today, the Bunker Hill Monument is a stop on the Freedom Trail.

7. The Observation Deck

View of Zakim Bridge and downtown from the monument’s observation deck. Photo By NewtonCourt – Wikimedia

The obelisk, standing at 221 feet high, has an observation deck accessible to visitors. The deck is not for the faint-hearted because there are 294 steps in a spiral staircase to climb and no lift/elevator.

The climb is worth it because one gets to experience the breathtaking bird’s eye view of Charlestown and Boston.

8. The First Obelisk in the U.S

Erected between 1825 and 1843, the Bunker Hill Monument was the first public obelisk in the United States. It was also the nation’s tallest before the construction of the Washington Monument in 1848.

It was designed to commemorate the misnamed Battle of Bunker Hill. The monument’s Association reviewed more than 50 submissions and agreed that the obelisk was the most favorable design.

Blocks of granite for the monument averaged two cubic yards each and were quarried by wedging.

9. The Statue in Front

A statue of Col. William Prescott In front of the monument. Photo By Marina Medic – Wikimedia Commons

In front of the obelisk stands a statue of Col. William Prescott who was the leader of the American rebels. He was a native of Groton in Massachusetts and was also another hero of Bunker Hill.

According to popular stories, Prescott was credited with instructing his soldiers “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”

This famous order, which probably was never given, has come to symbolize the determination of an inexperienced and ill-equipped colonial force confronting a highly-trained army of professional British soldiers. 

Erected in 1881, American sculptor William Wetmore story created the statue. It depicts Prescott moments before giving the command to open fire.

10. The Bunker Hill Museum

Located across the street from the Monument, the red-bricked museum houses two floors of compelling exhibits that tell the story of the battle and its commemoration.

There-in you will find the story of the Bunker Hill Monument and the history of the Charlestown community. The museum also includes a 360-degree cyclorama mural of the battle plus refurbished dioramas and artifacts.

At the end of your visit, you will have a detailed insight into the war. There is also a bookstore at that museum. Both the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum form part of Boston’s Freedom Trail.